AI GTM Product Review: Clay for Data Enrichment

Clay is another product one of my clients is integrating as part of a three-platform AI-based "Virtual BDR" stack—a stack which also includes OctaveHQ (AI GTM playbooks and messaging) and Instantly (AI-driven email scalability and deliverability). Overview

Clay is an AI-powered data enrichment and orchestration platform built for B2B enterprises. Its focus is Enterprise Identity Resolution—matching and enriching customer and prospect records with the most accurate, up-to-date details available. Unlike most enrichment vendors, Clay doesn’t own or maintain a proprietary database. Instead, it positions itself as a pure middleware layer: 100% data independent, pulling from an extensive network of over 100 integrated data providers. This single fact is also Clays' key differentiator.

In the enterprise market, Clay is targeting ZoomInfo’s turf, offering a credit-based enrichment model without the cost or complexity of maintaining multiple data vendor subscriptions. This makes it particularly appealing to large organizations with fragmented data pipelines and multiple marketing, sales, and Rev Ops stakeholders.

How it Works

Clay starts with whatever data you already have—a CSV file of email addresses, names, job titles, LinkedIn URLs, or even incomplete company info—and uses AI to “fill in the blanks.”

Over-Simplified Example: You upload a list of 5,000 contacts from a recent trade show, and that file includes only first names, last names and personal email addresses. You ask Clay to append titles, companies, business emails, and phone numbers to all contacts. Clay’s AI analyzes your input data and determines the most likely sources to find and complete each missing field. It then builds a prioritized waterfall—typically the top 11 data providers most likely to properly enrich your file in order—and queries them one at a time until all requested information fields are populated.

For a fintech-focused list, this might mean starting with LinkedIn, then Prospecto, Clearbit, Pipl, and so on, automatically pulling from all relevant sources until the file is complete. All of this happens without you needing a direct contract with ANY of these vendors—because Clay’s credits cover the cost.

Other Features

Beyond identity resolution, Clay offers basic data activation, allowing enriched data to be pushed directly into marketing automation and sales engagement platforms. At present, this orchestration is mostly focused on email cadences and automated BDR workflows, but the company appears to be expanding into additional activation channels.

Clay has also moved into the intent data space, beginning with TrustRadius. Here, they tap into software review traffic, identify the individuals behind anonymous visits, and provide this information to clients as “named shoppers.” G2, SoftwareAdvice, and Gartner integrations are reportedly in discussion, and—as with enrichment—clients don’t need direct subscriptions to access any of these feeds.

Another advantage is Clay’s ease of integration. The Rev Ops and Marketing Analytics people I have spoken with have all said the same thing: that they can make Clay pass data to and from "almost any platform." This typically results in Clay being used as the "brain" or central management system for AI-driven outbound motions.

My Thoughts

Clay’s data independence is by far its biggest selling point. In an industry where most enrichment tools live or die by the quality of their own dataset, Clay sidesteps this limitation entirely. Functioning as an intelligent broker across dozens of providers, it maximizes match rates while eliminating the need to maintain multiple contracts with expensive data providers. And if you believe this model isn't sustainable, I offer you this: Clay is still considered a startup, and already has a valuation of $3.1 billion. In my view, Zoominfo is in very, very big trouble.

The AI-powered waterfall is a particularly smart approach—it ensures you’re not locked into a single vendor’s coverage gaps, and that you only pay for results. Like any other credit-based system it can be difficult to manage spend with Clay, becase (for example) a certain type of phone number can cost 2 credits from one data provider and 5 from another. But given the overall convenience of the platform, most users will be more than happy to overlook this limitation.

Bottom Line

Clay isn’t trying to be the next ZoomInfo—it’s trying to make ZoomInfo (and all its competitors) unnecessary. For enterprises tired of managing multiple enrichment contracts, dealing with inconsistent match rates, or overpaying for underutilized data subscriptions, Clay offers a pragmatic, AI-driven alternative. If they can successfully expand their intent data footprint and deepen orchestration capabilities, they’ll have a strong claim as the most flexible and cost-efficient data enrichment platform on the market.

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About Me (Eric Rudolf)

I am a career Marketing, Growth, Go-To-Market and Strategy exec who helps emerging tech firms create value—and ultimately scale—by using AI-based tools to accelerate GTM activities and lower GTM spend. These AI tools and tactics include Real-Time ICP Development, Audience Targeting, Anonymous User Resolution, Content Development, Graphic Design, Video Creation, Virtual Outbound, BDR Bullpens, AI-Based Competitive Analysis and Monitoring, Lead Scoring and Campaign Activation.

If you'd like to speak about the possibility of engaging a Fractional CMO, please feel free to fill out this form on my website. And be sure to connect with me on LinkedIn any time—my profile is always open.